Community Partners Open Doors for Student TRACK Participants

Building a strong future workforce starts with exposing students to the wide variety of career opportunities available in their own community. In Cabarrus County, this is realized through Student TRACK (Talent Readiness and Career Knowledge), a program that provides rising juniors with immersive, behind-the-scenes career exploration.

For one week in June, a cohort of 19 high school students from Cabarrus County Schools and Kannapolis City Schools stepped beyond the classroom to explore firsthand the myriad of unique job opportunities and careers that exist across Cabarrus County – from government to healthcare and manufacturing to small business. These experiences provided an opportunity to interact with local government leaders, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals, among others.

Throughout the week, the students crisscrossed the county to meet with the City of Concord, Town of Harrisburg, the City of Kannapolis and Cabarrus County government teams and leadership to understand the variety of jobs in these communities – jobs that are essential to ensuring that governments meet the needs of the residents they serve.

In Concord, students visited city facilities, learned how municipal departments work together to serve residents and businesses, explored public safety equipment and careers, and visited the Brown Operations Center to see how public works maintains the infrastructure and essential services that keep the city running. During lunch at City Hall, city leadership and staff shared their career journeys and answered students’ questions before the day concluded at Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, where students toured airport facilities, explored emergency equipment, observed aircraft operations, and learned about careers in aviation. Similarly, Student TRACK also met with several different departments of the Cabarrus County government, including an in-depth look at the Emergency Operations Center

From a community perspective, the students explored the world of healthcare by visiting Atrium Health Cabarrus’s cardiac wing. The scope of the Student TRACK program also included stops at the NC Food Innovation Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus, where they learned about food science, product development, and research-driven careers. Additional learning opportunities featured the historic Gem Theatre, CARDIAC Sports & Memorabilia, and High Performance Training, where business owners and professionals shared their experiences launching and growing successful businesses. An inside look to explore the Charlotte Motor Speedway also helped the students to better understand how much the organization does beyond the marquis Coca-Cola 600.

To round out the week’s experiences, the cohort had the treat of visiting two local manufacturers – Hendrick Technical Solutions and Prime Beverage Group which helped them to better understand advanced manufacturing. Students toured Hendrick Technical Solutions and Prime Beverage Group, gaining a firsthand look at innovative technologies, modern manufacturing processes, and the wide range of careers available in manufacturing. These immersive experiences gave students valuable insight into the skills, training, and teamwork needed to succeed in advanced manufacturing while highlighting the exciting career opportunities available right here in Cabarrus County.

Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Together

Throughout each day, students heard firsthand about the skills, education, and determination needed to pursue careers in a variety of industries while gaining a greater appreciation for the businesses and organizations that make Cabarrus County a dynamic place to live and work.

Student TRACK is made possible through the collaboration of municipalities, educators, employers, and community partners committed to preparing the next generation of talent.

By opening their doors and sharing their expertise, these partners are helping students discover local career opportunities, explore future pathways, and better understand the industries that drive Cabarrus County’s economy.

Special Thanks to the partners across Cabarrus County that made Student TRACK possible:

• Atrium Health Cabarrus
• Cabarrus Center
• Cabarrus County Economic Development Corporation
• Cabarrus County Government
• Cabarrus County Schools
• Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Department
• Capstone Climbing and Adventures
• Cardiac Sports & Memorabilia
• Charlotte Motor Speedway
• City of Concord Government
• City of Kannapolis Government
• Concord – Padgett Regional Airport
• Crossroads Church
• Hendrick Motorsports
• Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
• Kannapolis City Schools
• Lilly
• NC Food Innovation Lab
• Prime Beverage Group
• Student TRACK Steering Committee
• Town of Harrisburg